Namho Kim, Chairman of DB Group, "Will Contribute to Local Development and Talent Nurturing"

The 15th Donggok Awards Ceremony

Namho Kim, Chairman of DB Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Namho Kim, Chairman of DB Group, participated in the 15th Donggok Awards ceremony hosted by the Donggok Social Welfare Foundation on the afternoon of the 5th to encourage the awardees.

This year’s awardees were Bang Jaeheung, Advisor of the Gangwon Province Administrative Alumni Association in the Regional Development category; Yongtae Yoo, Advisor of the Gangwon Fine Arts Federation in the Culture and Arts category; Youngbong Park, Chairman of the Gyosan·Nanseolheon Promotion Association in the Social Service category; Seokbok Jang, Distinguished Professor at KAIST in the Education and Scholarship category; and Sunpyo Jeon, Chairman of Sesco Co., Ltd., in the Proud Out-of-Province Gangwon People category.

At the awards ceremony held at Sejong Hotel in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Chairman Namho Kim stated, “I will uphold the will of my grandfather, who first established the Donggok Award to discover and nurture local talents in Gangwon Province, and continue the intention of my father who revived the discontinued Donggok Award. I will do my best to contribute to local development and foster talents who will lead the global era of the 21st century.”

The Donggok Award was created by Namho Kim’s grandfather, former National Assembly Vice Speaker Jinman Kim, in 1975 to recognize unsung heroes who contributed to the development of Gangwon Province and to publicize their achievements. It played a pivotal role in discovering local talents by selecting awardees annually until 1979. Although it was discontinued in 1980 due to political pressure, it was revived after 32 years in 2011 by former DB Group Chairman Junki Kim on the 5th anniversary of Jinman Kim’s passing.

The Donggok Social Welfare Foundation was established in 1989 by former DB Group Chairman Junki Kim, a businessman from Gangwon, who donated all shares of 16 companies he owned in the Gangwon region to contribute to local development. To carry on the legacy of his father, who worked hard for regional progress, the foundation was named ‘Donggok Social Welfare Foundation’ after his father’s pen name.

The foundation operates on a system where all shares with management rights of the companies under its umbrella serve as the foundation’s operational base, ensuring that the profits of these companies are continuously returned to the local community. Since its establishment, it has carried out various social welfare projects such as building welfare facilities for underprivileged groups, elderly welfare centers, and daycare centers in the Gangwon region.

Meanwhile, this year’s Donggok Awards ceremony was held at Sejong Hotel in Chuncheon with the attendance of prominent figures including Governor Munsun Choi of Gangwon Province, Chairman Doyoung Kwak of the Gangwon Provincial Council, Superintendent Byeonghee Min of Gangwon Provincial Office of Education, and National Assembly member Cheolgyu Lee.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.